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Old 12-15-2017, 08:19 AM   #1
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RV Interior Design shifts on the way?

Been noticing a sharp shift towards cleaner, sharper, more minimalist styling across a lot of the mid and high end 5th wheel brands this year, both in their exterior graphics and also in their interior trim, colors, and accents.

It seemed to happen all at once with 2018 models, where the psuedo-Western motifs, browns pallets, materials, and upholstery patterns used since the 1970s were significantly disrupted by more mono-chromatic modernist styles and hues.

Dare I say that this a sign of the significant changing of the guard of the buyer demographic? The Gen-Xers have finally ascended past the Baby Boomers in the market hierarchy and the Millennials are now starting to be courted with aspirational targets?

Winnebago seems to have gone full modernist with their new Class A designs. This is a clean break from the industry's past (and dare I say that I love, love them):

https://youtu.be/ILbs_jz8iyo?t=473

I predict in a couple years, maybe with 2020 model year launches, more 5th wheels will be looking like this.
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Old 12-15-2017, 09:34 AM   #2
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I like the more modern RV interiors. To me it always seemed like the manufacturers fired all their interior designers in the 80's and just kept doing the same thing. Airstream has nice interiors. All the dark wood finishes make the interior seem smaller than it is.

I don't like the "pleather" furnishings that is in everything though. We looked until we found a used fiver with the cloth chairs and couch.
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Old 12-15-2017, 01:31 PM   #3
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Lord I hope so. I know this is intensely personal, but frankly most of the trailers and 5ths I've stepped in looked like a "Gentleman's Club".


And, no, I'm not going to share how I'd know that.
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Old 12-15-2017, 02:06 PM   #4
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Lord I hope so. I know this is intensely personal, but frankly most of the trailers and 5ths I've stepped in looked like a "Gentleman's Club".


And, no, I'm not going to share how I'd know that.
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Old 12-15-2017, 03:37 PM   #5
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I'm glad this has come up so I can somewhat, defend us Boomers. I never liked the crap they were putting out before, and have no idea why the rv mfgs. decided that we did. I mean, what's up with that Jayco bird?? I may not look as young as I did a few years ago but I don't need help crossing the street, would never buy a phone from Consumer Cellular and hate AARP cuz they insist that I be a member. I dare say, I would like a more "up to date" looking rv as much as a person half my age (that is...someone in their early 30s ).
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Old 12-15-2017, 04:22 PM   #6
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I'm in the last of the baby boomer group. Sorry, that look is just too antiseptic for my tastes. I'd feel like I'd be sleeping in my doctor's clinic or something. Yes, it's about personal taste but this is not a warm homey feeling.

Honestly, my daughter is in her 30s and she doesn't like this "modern" look either.

Here's a question for those that like this style, how many of you have your homes remodeled in this style?
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Old 12-15-2017, 04:47 PM   #7
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I'm in the last of the baby boomer group. Sorry, that look is just too antiseptic for my tastes. I'd feel like I'd be sleeping in my doctor's clinic or something. Yes, it's about personal taste but this is not a warm homey feeling.

Honestly, my daughter is in her 30s and she doesn't like this "modern" look either.

Here's a question for those that like this style, how many of you have your homes remodeled in this style?
My last two houses were more on the contemporary side. The cleaner designs also make the space seem larger which is needed in an RV. The same reason condos are bright and modern,makes 500sf look like 1500sf.

Be nice if you actually had a choice of styles when buying. Instead it's light brown, brown or dark brown with a choice of carpet or vinyl, both brown.

Until it gets to the point where RV manufacturers can sell whatever they slap together there won't be any choices. Used to be Ford only sold black cars

Oh, and I'm 61, so it's not an age thing. I've always liked contemporary or post-modern design. Really it's from the 60's anyway, RV interiors are from the early 80's farmhouse period.
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Old 12-15-2017, 06:00 PM   #8
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RV Interior Design shifts on the way?

I like contemporary and both houses I’ve owned are/were remodeled and furnished in contemporary style. I wish my RV were too. Instead it looks more like my grandparents’ old 1991 doublewide. I totally dig the airstream look... at least on the inside.

I’m late 30’s


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Old 12-15-2017, 10:12 PM   #9
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New ? The cabinet industry in the 70"s became European designed cabinets, which meant shiny laminate...which was the low end in Europe but high end in the US. There is nothing new, cabinets and everything else goes around. This styling started in Europe after the war when they had very little hardwoods left to build cabinets with, so they used board made of chips of wood (Particle Board) and eliminated frames on the cabinets (frame less) construction became the norm in Europe. That style was imported because it was the least expensive and with the import costs it was still half affordable.

Soon it became the "have to have look" in the high end Kitchens.. When in reality it was the low end look. Even in Europe Wood was the true high end, but was not available.

This will fade away over time to wood, darker colors again which lend a traditional stable look, think Law firms. Dr's want new modern up to date so they use sleek laminate and white or lighter colors. A lawyer you want stable, traditional, years of experience so you go with Dark heavy wood look.

RV's are subject to the same design trends across all segments of society. There is actually groups that get together and decide what next years (and next decades) colors and designs are going to be. They can tell you what colors are going to be hot next year and in five years...they represent clothing, autos, furniture and all other segments. Ever wonder why everyone seems to be doing the same thing? They all buy into this design source.

Just remember there is nothing new, everything just goes around.

The RV industry does use more earthtones because they show dirt from camping less than these high sheen lite colors. I doubt you will find many of these very comtempary designs boondocking in the desert... She is exactly correct, it looks like a NY apartment...sadly, not many NY apartment dwellers go camping.
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Old 12-15-2017, 11:02 PM   #10
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Nah, I can't agree with what you're saying. The RV industry hasn't evolved and changed over time, their interior styles have been frozen for decades, as most have agreed to here. Even high end diesel pushers used the same token materials and design cues to look "rich" and higher status: marble everywhere, crystal chandeliers, lots of mirrors, gold plating. Old fashioned symbols of wealth, just like your lawyer office example.

New fashioned is what you are seeing in that Winnebago video. It's a version, albeit in a much more tasteful and quality execution, of what you've been seeing in Toy Haulers, which definitely are not aimed at Baby Boomers. It's also reflecting what you are seeing on home renovation shows, which have done a lot to push forward the buyer's expectation of evolved aesthetic and materials.

This is a design shift to synch up with who is now making up the majority of the buyers for these RV segments: Gen Xers.

I agree, the RV industry didn't change up to this by accident, and it was planned years ago, but it's not a coincidence it's now finally rolling out across multiple segments. That's the indicator that the majority of who the buyers are has now shifted. Design should reflect the buyer, not the seller: give them what they want.
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Old 12-16-2017, 03:09 AM   #11
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There is also nothing cheap about contemporary design- far from it. Cheap laminate cabinets are one thing, but the design language certainly didn’t just stem from a lack of materials following WWII- Scandinavian design was minimalist, clean and smooth long before then, and the new contemporary is a progression of mid century and ca modern, which in turn was a progression from the original Scandinavian style. I personally love the look- hence why my last 3 cars have been Volvos!

And if I walk into any office that looks dark, heavy and dated then I’m going to question giving them my business purely because it implies an unwillingness to embrace change, and I would prefer to buy from someone in my age range- it’s the same with RV’s or anything else. Of course older folks prefer older design and younger folks like modern design.... that’s how it has always ebbed and flowed. That doesn’t make either one wrong or cheap, just different.




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Old 12-16-2017, 08:43 AM   #12
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[QUOTE][And if I walk into any office that looks dark, heavy and dated then I’m going to question giving them my business purely because it implies an unwillingness to embrace change, /QUOTE]

Maybe that is the style that said buisness owner likes. It speaks nothing of the buisness itself only of one's personal taste. He may not like your style just as you do not have to like his . We all do not have to conform to what other people may like . It is our personal choice . Did you ever hear of "Don't judge a book by its cover " ? You may be the one left in the dark someday.
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Old 12-16-2017, 09:52 AM   #13
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The first thing that we did, when we finished peeling the delivery stickers off our (then) new hybrid TT, was to re-cover all the "soft furnishings", the cushions, the valances.

Too much brown!

We did, seriously, consider repainting the cabinetry (brown...) , but the much lighter blue fabrics brightened things up enough that we decided not to bother, and it works.

Not so much a Baby Boomer, more a Stone-Ager...
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Old 12-16-2017, 10:24 AM   #14
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This is far from what a mainstream TT will look like anytime soon. This is a high end custom coach that someone is going to pay big bucks for. The rest of us are going to live with grandparents decor, shoddy workmanship, cheapest components, this is what sells to the masses.
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Old 12-16-2017, 11:05 AM   #15
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This is far from what a mainstream TT will look like anytime soon. This is a high end custom coach that someone is going to pay big bucks for. The rest of us are going to live with grandparents decor, shoddy workmanship, cheapest components, this is what sells to the masses.
Again, I beg to differ.

2018 seems to be a watershed year where mid and high end 5ers shifted their decor.

For example, on Jayco's North Point line, the counter tops are now clean square edges, no more stepped profiles. The cabinet glass is now plain, square glass, no more fussy surface embellishments (of questionable origin and meaning). The backsplashes are rectangular mosaic, another nod to contemporary home remodels. There is more use of stainless steel, again another favorite of the Gen X home remodeling crowd. Sinks are square, not rounded. Shade valances have been toned down and lost their loud floral patterns. Cabinet facings and slide opening trims are less intricate, too.

I'm noticing this across many of the more premium mainstream brands as of 2018. Including a refresh and tightening of exterior graphics. Even fonts are becoming simpler and "cleaner."

And I think this has happened, because these aesthetics are what is needed to sell to the *current* masses. Who is making up the masses has shifted, and the manufacturers are noticing.

The Winnebago is an extreme example of this, of course, but high end diesel pushers have been the bastion of "old world wealth" design language, so to see it happening in that segment *really* speaks to the generational wealth/buying shift that manufacturers are responding to.

Heck, even New Dimensions fifth wheels have started building modern styling 5ers, and they are a custom builder. So they only build what people directly request, and they're directly requesting modern now. And those units ain't cheap at all!
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Old 12-16-2017, 11:42 AM   #16
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I had my wife watch the video and the first words out of her mouth was "that looks like my parents home in the late 60's". I thought it did as well but with a few upgrades here and there. We're both baby boomers.
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Old 12-16-2017, 12:28 PM   #17
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There is also nothing cheap about contemporary design- far from it. Cheap laminate cabinets are one thing, but the design language certainly didn’t just stem from a lack of materials following WWII- Scandinavian design was minimalist, clean and smooth long before then, and the new contemporary is a progression of mid century and ca modern, which in turn was a progression from the original Scandinavian style. I personally love the look- hence why my last 3 cars have been Volvos!

And if I walk into any office that looks dark, heavy and dated then I’m going to question giving them my business purely because it implies an unwillingness to embrace change, and I would prefer to buy from someone in my age range- it’s the same with RV’s or anything else. Of course older folks prefer older design and younger folks like modern design.... that’s how it has always ebbed and flowed. That doesn’t make either one wrong or cheap, just different.




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Actuyally it was WWII that made this "look" necessary. The war decimated most of the forests in Europe.. with rebuilding needed a German Otto Hettich designed a "system" of making cabinets using wood particales (particale board) covered with melamine (think Formica which is abrand name). He built cabinets with no hardwood face frame but rather melamine boards and used the available wood for the doors, which covered the whole cabinet carcass.

In the 70's Allimilmo and Poggenpahl two of the largest cabinet companies in Germany and Europe decided to expand by exporting to the USA. Since almost all USA cabinet companies were making wood cabinets they choose to import their low end laminate cabinets, it also made their cabinets more affordable. They got high end designers to showcase their products and because they were new and not available everywhere, they became the "must have" product for high end customers..similar to Corian Countertops...

I installed the first showroom for Allmilmo in the Midwest in the mid 70's, being taugh how, since they used metal hooks and everything was based on MM, by a gentleman who later because the President of Poggenpahl USA. I saw the benifits of this new construction technique and starting making no face frame cabinets in my shop. I sold to high end residential, medical offices, and other commercial places. We also did a few high end Class A's but it never caught on since most of the people buying Class A were not the same as those purchasing this look for their homes, those folks stayed in high end hotels rather than traveling in an RV.

Those today who think that this look is "new" are totally wrong, they have been around for 60 - 70 years...I doubt were going to see a mass RV mfg moving to making high end gloss laminate standard across their lines anytime soom.

There is a great deal of psychology that goes into designing everything from restaurants, hospitals and yes Lawyers offices. The design group who forecast color trends many years in advance are utilitized by every segment of the market. It's why you see clothes and cars and furniture among other items all come out in the same color tones at the same time. Industry needs trends so people will purchase new clothes new kitchens and yes, new RV's. If tends never changed people would not need to purchase new items. I rarely replaced a kitchen that was totally worn out, but I did replace many because it looked "dated".

I think it's great that the industy is giving more choices to people, but, at least for the near future I think it will be a small segment of the industry.

I still believe most people that like the outdoors and purchase RV's are not the same people that like high end shiney products. Nothing wrong with either, just different tastes. If you like glossy modern looks, typically your not parking in the rustic woods. JMHO.

I bet you will see people saying wow this is cool, then putting their money on a more "normal" looking RV. The look is great but much too sterile for most folks.

As I said there is nothing new. Cabinet doors are either flat or raised panel, square or curved designs or some combination of that. We will see colors change, remember the white RV cabinets? Or Natural maple, or Natural Oak ? Now it's darker colors. I could tell you what will be hot next year or 5 years from now, except im retired and not a part of the design council anymore. I'm out of that loop...thank God ! LOL

Happy Camping and Im glad we all get more choices.
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Old 12-16-2017, 01:11 PM   #18
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Again, I'm not arguing that you are correct when it comes to *most* industries, regarding manufactured trends which spurs new consumer spending.

What I find interesting is that the RV industry seems to have been sitting that cycle out for the last few decades.

Their designs have been frozen for years.

I have to wonder why, and I have to assume: because the majority of the market was not responding to change. They liked it just the way it was.

So, now that there is more than anecdotal evidence of an aesthetic design shift in the RV world, not just random "test" examples here and there from small manufacturers, the question is "why"?

My hunch is because Gen Xers are the new buying power, and they *do* want change, and change will get more of them to buy RVs. Just look at that couple's response in that video.

And, yes, gloss laminates are a specific expression of the modern look, but it's not specifically that treatment I am fixated on, it's that the browns and the florals and the fussy wood filigrees and the loop carpets are being replaced by the grays and the stones and the barn woods and the stainless steels, the same stuff you are seeing in Gen X homes.

These people are RV buyers, and there is a ground swell amongst that generation to buy them (and tiny houses). Just browse the YouTube channels to see how many of them are documenting their life on the road.

The divide between luxury and camping lifestyles is being dissolved here.
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Old 12-16-2017, 01:13 PM   #19
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[QUOTE=o2silverado;592913]
Quote:
[And if I walk into any office that looks dark, heavy and dated then I’m going to question giving them my business purely because it implies an unwillingness to embrace change, /QUOTE]

Maybe that is the style that said buisness owner likes. It speaks nothing of the buisness itself only of one's personal taste. He may not like your style just as you do not have to like his . We all do not have to conform to what other people may like . It is our personal choice . Did you ever hear of "Don't judge a book by its cover " ? You may be the one left in the dark someday.


Whoa. You forgot to quote the part where I said that trends ebb and flow and there’s a place for each. Sorry my interior design tastes rile you up so much!

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Old 12-16-2017, 01:13 PM   #20
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Everyone has their own tastes but for me I do not prefer an RV interior that looks like the starship Enterprise inside. But I also realize I'm approaching old geezer status so the youngsters are going to most likely want something different. I don't like their music either lol.
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